Thank everyone for being available. Tell story of my personal experiences with professional learning communities. Passion Big Ideas: The core mission is not simply to ensure students are taught but to ensure that students learn. Educators must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Effectiveness is based on results.

For the purpose of this presentation…I will be following a basic format that will include the following sections….. Purpose of the study….present the research questions which will guide the study….. discuss the significance of the study…..present a review of literature…… and then discuss the research design….so beginning with the purpose of the study…..

I have obtained a list of school districts and high schools, in Texas, who received smaller learning community grant money. This list was obtained through the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). Approximately 75 high schools in 31 school districts.

I have obtained and received permission to use the instrument, School Professional Staff as Learning Community . Created by Shirley Hord at SEDL. Five descriptors for learning communities: School governance Shared vision Collective learning Peer reviews Conditions support communities

TAKS results will be obtained through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Scores from 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.

The research questions are aligned with the purpose of the study. Principals responding to the instrument will answer this research question.

For the purpose of the study some key terms have been defined: Effective leaders combine a strong sense of moral purpose, an understanding of change, emotional intelligence as they build relationships, a commitment to developing and sharing new knowledge, and a capacity for coherence making. (Michael Fullan) Peter Senge’s learning organizations are where people continually learn together to create the results they truly desire. Five disciplines (personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking) PLC’s were defined earlier the three big ideas in education. Reculturing is a transformation from limited attention to assessment of pedagogy where teachers routinely focus on instructional improvements.

Because of NCLB and AYP mandates, many leaders are searching for initiatives that improve student achievement for ALL students.

Shared governance and shared vision.

In learning communities, teachers take on more of a leadership role and will require leadership training. Assessment of pedagogy.

At this point, it is necessary to review some of the literature pertaining to learning communities. Briefly mention the above sections. Future sections might include: Smaller learning communities The role of the central office The role of the state/system

In all of the reform movements, the common strand has always been the student.

The U.S. Department of Education released a report on small learning communities in urban comprehensive high schools.

Article titled: Getting reform right: what works and what doesn’t. Teachers become ‘turned-off’ to new ideas. They have seen the pendulum swing. They say, “this too shall pass.”

Article: Sustaining teacher commitment: The role of professional communities .

Correlational Research is used to determine if a relationship exists between an independent and dependent variable. Descriptive Statistics generates a mean and standard deviation.

A data base of high schools and districts, that received grant money to implement learning communities, is housed on the SEDL web site. Information about each school and their community is provided.

Shirley Hord at Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) created the instrument. Appalachia Educational Laboratories (AEL) did both a pilot test and field test on the instrument.

“Overall, we conclude that the present form of the 17-item instrument is very useful as a screening, filtering, or measuring device to assess the maturity of a school’s professional staff as a learning community, especially when the total instrument score is used.”

A raw score for each descriptor and a total score for all five descriptors. The total score reflects the maturity level of a school operating as a learning community.

The change in scores from one school year to the next will be derived.

Two Pearson r correlations will be calculated. One for mathematics and one for reading/English language arts.

A relationship could exist between raw scores on each of the five descriptors and student achievement.

Transcript

1.
The Relationship Between Professional Learning Communities and Student Achievement in High Schools A Proposal Defense by Teresa A. Hughes

3. Identify whether student achievement in mathematics and reading/English language arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) scores has occurred as a result of professional learning communities.

2. Is there a relationship between student achievement, based on mathematics 2 and reading/English language arts 3 TAKS scores, and the degree the school is functioning as a professional learning community?

“ More and more educators are understanding that piecemeal reform too often produces a confusing and inefficient proliferation of programs that generate resource battles, reinforce inequity, and ultimately help only a few students” (Legter, 1999).

“ The current factory-model school, while seemingly efficient, is, in fact, grossly inefficient, inappropriate and ultimately inequitable, as it requires that all children adapt to the mean…Individualizing instruction for each learner is no longer a dream – it is an educational birthright for all children” (Fulton, 2003).